1. Field of the Invention
This invention resides in the area of radiation protective garments and more particularly relates to a radiation protective garment having an air ventilation/cooling structure and method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During the past thirty years, while many new medical imaging technologies have been introduced and accepted, the usage of an older modality, x-ray fluoroscopy, has quietly proliferated. X-ray fluoroscopy has become an imaging tool not only of choice, but also of necessity. X-ray fluoroscopy provides the ability to see within the body in real time and has moved from usage for simple x-ray diagnosis to usage in a vast array of medical treatments.
With the evolution and proliferation of fluoroscopy, a broader group of medical professionals have become engaged in its daily use, and subject to its inherent danger, being exposure to radiation. Increasingly, nurses, surgeons, physicians and technologists, in addition to radiologists or radiological technologists are either working with fluoroscopy or are present during its use.
While improving technology has decreased the radiation dose rates from what they were in the past, the use of fluoroscopy for treatment has not only expanded but has also called for increased exposure times, which length of radiation exposure often offsets the dose reductions realized by improved technology.
Thus, radiation safety is even more of an issue today than twenty-five years ago. Increasingly, personnel who are involved in the performance of these medical procedures are wearing radiation protective garments for longer periods of time. Radiation protective garments for use by persons subject to ionizing radiation during medical fluoroscopy or other activities are well known in the prior art. Such garments generally comprise inner cloth or vinyl linings and an outer cloth or vinyl covering with an intermediate layer of lead. This increased, prolonged usage of heavy radiation protective garments has caused the wearers of these heavy garments certain discomfort associated with their weight and overheating with attendant perspiration buildup.
The buildup of heat under heavy x-ray protective aprons, during long interventional and diagnostic procedures can be a major cause of user discomfort and fatigue. With conventional x-ray garments, this is buildup of heat is a serious problem because the user has body contact above the waist of virtually 100% of the heavy x-ray garment. My prior inventions taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,834,789 and 5,844,246 provide some removal of apron body contact above the waist of the user by approximately 50%, helping to ease the problem by allowing some natural ventilation in the space between the garment and the user.